A17698:2318
Sermons upon Deuteronomy
The sermons of M. John Calvin upon the fifth book of Moses called Deuteronomy faithfully gathered word for word as he preached them in open pulpit; together with a preface of the ministers of the Church of Geneva, and an admonishment made by the deacons there. Also there are annexed two profitable tables, the one containing the chief matters; the other the places of Scripture herein alleged. Translated out of French by Arthur Golding.The sermons of M. Iohn Caluin vpon the fifth booke of Moses called Deuteronomie faithfully gathered word for word as he preached them in open pulpet; together with a preface of the ministers of the Church of Geneua, and an admonishment made by the deacons there. Also there are annexed two profitable tables, the one containing the chiefe matters; the other the places of Scripture herein alledged. Translated out of French by Arthur Golding.
London: printed by Henry Middleton for George Bishop, 1583
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
There were other Ceremonies also; that is to wit,1 the girding up of their garments, the putting on of their shoes, and the taking of their walking staves in their hands. For in those East countries they ware long garments after the same manner that the Turks do at this day. And when they travailed by the way, they trussed up their garments above their loins, as the grey Fryers & Jacobins or white Fryers do, and such other that are so greatly cumbered with clothes. Now God did the Jews to understand that they should be as wayfarers when they ate the paschal Lamb, and that they should eat it in haste, to put them in remembrance of the said departure out of Egypt. And our Lord did set down this figure as a looking glass for the Jews to behold how their forefathers ate the paschal Lamb, even when they were hasted to go their ways, that they might acknowledge so great a benefit. And herein we see how God had a respect to the rudeness of his people as in deed all the Ceremonies which we have serve but for our infirmity. What doth Baptism or the Lords Supper bring us? Do they make the death & passion of our Lord Jesus Christ of more value than it is of it self? What help find we in the bread, or in the wine, or in the water, to that purpose? Gods meaning then was not to ad any thing to that which we have received in our Lord Jesus Christ: but to bear with our rudeness because he sees us to be unable to comprehend the things that are gotten for us by our Lord Jesus Christ. For inasmuch as they be too high for us, God helpeth us up to them by the outward & visible signs which we have in the Sacraments. But it behoved the Jews to have mo such helps than we. For they had not so plain a doctrine as is now contained in the Gospel. Again, Jesus Christ was not yet come, in whom we see all that ever can be wished for our salvation. The heavens were then opened unto us,2 when his side was opened to wash us clean, and his body offered up for a sufficient sacrifice to reconcile us unto God his father, and to do away all our offences and transgressions. When these things were done, ⟨p. 600⟩then had we a full warrant of our salvation. Therefore we in these days need not to be helped with so huge a heap of Ceremonies as the ancient fathers under the Law were.